


The Calm After the Storm

by StarTrekkin08



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Comfort, Episode: s02e25 Resolutions, F/M, Gen, Humming, Massage, Thunder and Lightning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27702056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarTrekkin08/pseuds/StarTrekkin08
Summary: Kathryn and Chakotay are on New Earth. This is a glimpse into a few missing scenes during their stay.
Relationships: Chakotay & Kathryn Janeway, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	The Calm After the Storm

The plasma storm packed quite a wallop.

As they entered the shelter, Chakotay set the case on the floor. The shaking ground lurched and they were both forced onto it. He took Kathryn's hand and guided both of them under the table for shelter. They laid side-by-side as they watched the destruction unfurl in front of their eyes. The traps and other items reigned down from above with multiple crashes.

Chakotay felt Kathryn start to lurch for the scientific materials, initially wanting to go over to the precious items.

"Oh! Oh, no. Oh, no...no," Kathryn stopped herself looked at him, and covered her mouth.

She retracted when she saw it was pointless. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her safe from the metal and glass falling debris but to also comfort her. The storm wasn't letting up. Every minute there was a clashing of atomic discharge in the sky. He could could feel her flinch at every sound and flash. Then he noticed that she started to shake...then she was violently trembling, enough to rattle his own bones.

"Kathryn?" He said softly.

She turned over towards him and folded into him, shaking while gripping his arms. He heard sniffles continue to emanate from her.

"I'm so scared. I haven't heard of so violent an plasma storm," she muffled.

"Me, neither," Chakotay replied. Of course, he knew it wasn't just the storm that had upset her.

The light flashed and she buried her face deep in his chest, flinching at the blinding light. There was a loud crash into the shelter and he could feel a breeze. Chakotay figured the shelter must have been broken by a nearby tree branch. Now Kathryn was sniffling deeply, even coughing tears.

Here he was, a former Maquis and Starfleet commander, holding his formidable captain who crumbled with the storm.

 _What a sight,_ he thought. Although he had to admit, the storm unsettled him as well. Chakotay gave her a squeeze and held the back of her head towards his chest. The scent of her was comforting. Kathryn was warm, small, and soft. She was like a shivering, shaking, unconsolable and terrified puppy.

Chakotay started to hum. Little by little, even though there was still the occasional jolt, he could feel some of her tension melting away.

...

By the time the storm quieted hours later it was the very late afternoon, almost sunset. He could feel her breathing against him and could still feel some tension from her.

"Looks like it's finally over," Chakotay said with his chin tucked down towards her hair. She unfolded, slowly backed off of him, and looked up into his eyes.

"Oh, yes," she mumbled almost too quietly to hear and moved out of his arms. We should check the damage." She moved from under the table.

He was almost sorry he mentioned it at all but he followed her from beneath the table. She held out a hand to help him up and he accepted.

Chakotay looked through the whole in the ceilingwith the large branch sticking through it. "Let's check outside. Maybe some of the insect traps are still intact," he said, trying to give her some hope even if it meant dampening his own. They went outside and started scanning the traps.

Kathryn looked around, crouching down to pick up a insect trap. She sighed. In a gravelly tone she muttered, "None of this is salvageable either. There's no way I can continue to do my research."

Chakotay sighed and said, "I'm sorry." He meant it.

She stood up and with tired and weary eyes she turned to look at him. They glistened weary line underneath. With a gravelly, cracked voice, she said, "Well, that's one way of letting go."

He thought he could see a few tears forming but it didn't last long.. Chakotay walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "You look tired. It's going to get dark soon. I'll put a temporary patch on the roof while you take a shower. Then we can have some dinner and get some rest, okay? How does that sound?"

She held her fingers the bridge of her nose. "Okay." She made her way towards the shelter with her head down. He could hear Kathryn mumble under her breath, "Too bad it's not the bathtub," before she was out of sight. Chakotay looked over at the tub, which needed a through cleaning with the storm and needed some sanding where some of the small piece of the rim had been damaged by branches. 

By the time he came back inside, she was in her pajamas and robe, fast asleep in a chair. She had already cleared up the floor of the miscellaneous items. Chakotay smiled a little at the sight of her sleeping. It appeared that she had even replicated coffee but fell asleep too quickly to enjoy it. He brought over her blanket and draped it over her figure.

...

They got to work the next morning.

"I cannot believe I was...during the storm yesterday. Usually I love watching thunderstorms and listening to them but...'

"They were nothing quite like that plasma storm," Chakotay added.

"No, that's for certain. I was suddenly five years-old again. It was silly that I reacted the way I did. Chakotay, I shouldn't have-"

He held up a hand. "It's not silly. The sky was falling apart and it was a force of nature. It sounded like the entire house was going to fall apart around us. It definitely took a toll, in more ways than one. It's fine. Nothing to worry about. Plus, I'm sure you were an adorable five-year old." He broke out a dimpled grin to uplift her and she responded with a smile back.

Kathryn Janeway at five years old. He imagined her crawl under the covers. If she had daughter, would she look like her? Or would she have dark hair? Freckles? Blue eyes? Brown eyes? They would have beautiful children...

Chakotay realized he just caught himself daydreaming about Kathryn and their possible offspring while they cleaned up the mess and did repairs. He pushed the thought to the side and continued working on the roof.

"What were you humming yesterday?" She asked and tossed another one of the branches to the side.

"Hmm?" His mind was not pulled out of his thoughts just yet.

"What song were you humming yesterday during the storm?"

"A song my mother sang to my sister and I as children. It's...a lullaby. "

"What was it about?"

"The wind flowing through the trees. How it made the trees stronger and quieted the noisiest of woods. It was to put us to sleep."

"It's very soothing."

"My voice or the song?"

She blushed and said, "Both," and went towards the side of the shelter to grab another branch.

He smiled.

Chakotay mulled over his words and let them spill out. "So, I've been thinking. There's plenty of wood available here. I could probably add rooms to the shelter, give us a little more living space."

She asked, "How would you mill it?"

"I could do a certain amount with a phaser, but I was actually thinking of logs."

"As in log cabin?"

"I built a few of them when I was growing up. My father thought it was important that I learn how."

He was now grateful for that his father taught him how to survive.

Kathryn said, "When I was young, my parents took us on backpacking trips. They thought we should all keep a connection to our pioneer roots. I hated it. No bed, no replicator..."

"No bathtub," he added.

She chuckled. "No bathtub. I guess I was always a child of the twenty fourth century."

"Well, maybe those camping trips helped prepare you for life here."

She moved another branch aside and smiled sweetly. "Oh, no. Life here is much better than that."

He smiled. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say anything positive about being here."

Kathryn blinked in surpise at the thought. Then the monkey appeared and called out to them. She got close and crouched down. "Well, hello there. I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?"

Chakoray crouched down next to her. "Do you expect him to answer you?"

She said quietly, "Not really. I just sense intelligence in him, and I could swear he came to warn me about the plasma storm. Come here, fellow. Come on," she beckoned the monkey with her hand. It looked like as if she was calling a dog.

"I doubt that he can be domesticated, at least not very easily," he pointed out.

Then monkey climbed away in the tree.

"Well, we have plenty of time," she looked at him with uncertainty, "The rest of our lives."

"That's a long time. At least I hope so." He crossed his fingers with a smile.

She chuckled and slapped his thigh.  
"Well, I can't give you orders anymore but I suggest we get back to work."

He winked. "Aye, aye, Captain."

...

That evening, Kathryn rubbed her shoulder and groaned with her head back against the chair

"I guess I'm not used to that kind of work. My knots are getting knots," she chuckled in her exhaustion.

Chakotay stood up and said, "Here, let me help."

He moved her hair to the side then worked her shoulders.

"Oh, that feels good," she said softly.

"I've had a lot of practice at this. My mother used to get sore necks all the time. I was the only one she'd trust not to make it worse."

His hands stilled in thought.

Kathryn stood up and said, "That's much better. Thank you."

He gave a nod.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now. I'll see you in the morning."

"Sleep well, Kathryn."

"Yes. You, too."

She walked to her bed and he sat back down at the table. He looked across the tray of mostly uneaten dinner towards the clouded partition.

...

It wasn't much longer that she came out to to living area.

"We have to talk about this."

"All right." He set his work down on the table.

"I think we need to define some parameters...about us." She made it sound as if she was at a negotiation table with a new alien species.

"I'm not sure I can define parameters. But I can tell you a story, an ancient legend among my people. It's about an angry warrior who lived his life in conflict with the rest of his tribe, a man who couldn't find peace, even with the help of his spirit guide. For years, he struggled with his discontent. But the only satisfaction he ever got came when he was in battle. This made him a hero among his tribe, but the warrior still longed for peace within himself. One day... he and his war party were captured by a neighbouring tribe led by a woman warrior. She called on him to join her because her tribe was too small and weak to defend itself from all its enemies. The woman warrior was brave and beautiful and very wise."

Chakotay paused, his emotions getting to him, and continued. "The angry warrior swore to himself that he would stay by her side, doing whatever he could to make her burden lighter. From that point on, her needs would come first. And in that way," he realized how much he had changed when he said, "the warrior began to know the true meaning of peace."

"Is that really... an ancient legend?" Softness came through her voice.

He smiled and then calmly said, "No. But that made it easier to say."

A tear had made it down her face. Kathryn placed her palm up towards him and his own matched hers. Her fingers curled into his hand and she leaned forward with longing, another tear joining the other.

She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something. Then she closed it and looked down with their hands still entwined.

Chakotay said, "Did I say something wrong? Was I too forward?" He asked.

She lifted her head and let out a chuckle. "No, I think that was quite the opposite."

He sighed a relief.

Kathryn hesitated, "It wasn't that.. I was just thinking... it sounds... never mind. "

"What is it?" He asked nervously.

"Can you hum that song for me again?"

He blinked in surprise. "Really?" Before it sounded ridiculous and she started to second guessed herself he added, "No, sure, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting that."

He saw her breathe out. "I haven't been sleeping well and I thought it could help."

Kathryn really hadn't been sleeping well. Chakotay heard her restless tossing and turning even after staying up late as part of her research. He wasn't sure but he may have even heard a cry once in awhile.

Chakotay gave a nod and moved his hand within hers. He stood up and led her to the bedroom.

"Go ahead and lay down. Make yourself comfortable."

Kathryn climbed into bed and laid down on her back. He climbed into his own bed and laid on his side towards her. He braced an arm under his pillow with the other at his side and he started to hum. He watched her close her eyes. Her breathing labored and Kathryn appeared asleep. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Her calm made him calm and he smiled.

It was the calm after the storm and he hoped it would keep.

**Author's Note:**

> In August 2020 of this year, California had a very intense lightning storm that spurred many fires. I love thunderstorms and have been to the Grand Canyon in July when they have loud thunderstorms. The one in August was a storm like no other and sounded like no other. I figured Kathryn might even have reacted like I did...
> 
> I don't own Voyager. That's all CBS and Paramount. 
> 
> Written 11/9-11/24/2020.


End file.
